Ford said as the population increases, auto sales will increase, but congested highways will prevent us from traveling/commuting

At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) conference today, Bill Ford Jr. addressed his concern regarding future auto congestion in urban areas, which he says could eventually threaten our freedom to commute.

Bill Ford Jr. is the great-grandson of Henry Ford, who founded Ford Motor Company on June 16, 1903. Before the introduction of the Ford Model T in 1908, many people did not travel more than 25 miles from home. However, having an automobile made further travels possible -- it gave them freedom.

But Bill Ford Jr. said this freedom could be at risk due to increased population, which means increased auto sales and congested highways that could one day limit the number of automobiles that can be sold or used on the roads at a given time.

"What I'm really worried about is the role of the car in the long-term," said Ford. "If we do nothing, it will limit the number of vehicles we can sell. If we can solve this problem of urban mobility, I think there's a great business opportunity for us."

According to LMC Automotive, a consulting firm in Michigan, there are currently 1.2 billion vehicles on the roads globally.

While issues like the environmental impact of vehicles have already been addressed via efforts like the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) proposal that intends to boost fleet wide fuel economy to 54.5 mpg by 2025, Ford is moving on to other issues that are not so close to being addressed. His issue of choice is what to do about future traffic jams once the population increases, and urges the mobile technology industry to take action in developing solutions.

Ford already has a few solutions in mind, and they're all communications-based answers. Some are currently being developed, and some are not. For instance, Ford sees cars having radar-based cruise control and blind-spot monitoring systems in five years that allow vehicles to communicate with one another. These systems are currently being developed, where vehicles can "talk" to each other, offering information like the speed of another vehicle nearby. This could potentially avoid fatal crashes. Toyota is just one automaker that discussed the introduction of smart road technology back in 2010. Others like Ford and General Motors have worked to offer better and smarter safety systems as well, but they're mostly crash-based instead of traffic congestion-based.

Ford envisions a future beyond 2025 where cars will drive themselves as close together as possible to use the maximum amount of space on a highway. Vehicles will also do the same in parking lots to make more room for others. In addition, he imagines automakers building smaller cars that can offer additional space for other drivers.

"Even if the technology is there, there's still going to have to be tremendous thought by urban planners," said Ford. "That [driving] freedom has been threatened unless we redefine what personal mobility can be in a congested urbanized world."

There is nothing wrong with how people drive. If you believe that all rush hour problems are because of soccer moms, retirees and (a-hem) Indian drivers, keep smoking what you have - it must be some good weed.

SOME terrible drivers? Haha, I fear that no one *drives* anymore these days. Most people are talking on the phone, putting lipstick on, shaving, texting, merging onto the highway at 35mph, slamming on their brakes to change lanes instead of speeding UP to pass, or simply just drifting along in some state of utter mindlessness with no regard for anyone around them.

If people would actually DRIVE their vehicles with a sense of purpose and a timely arrival in mind, we'd all be better off.

Its not from smoking... this is a reality. Traffic jams are caused by in large from idiot moms texting/talking and foreigners not familiar with the roads. More importantly, they are not driving the same pace as everyone else AND refuse to allow right of way.

Other examples:You see it when big trucks are trying to pass each other up-hill; you see it when no one wants to pass the state patrol man driving slowly on purpose; you see it when drivers are trying to exit or enter ramps AND STOP to do it; you see it when assholes won't move the hell over into the slow lane.

Driving is all about creating and maintaining a gap.... and as long as that gap exists, none of this would occur. The DMV promotes a 2 second rule, but no one freak'n follows it. Had they, traffic would flow like a zipper effect whereby there's always that gap to maneuver within. Ramps would work like a cafeteria line. Left car, right car, left car, right car. Lane changes... not problem. Ramp coming up you need to get off.. just speed up in the fast lane and grab the gap in the slow lane.